Something Precious
by elizabeth.maegold
Summary: The story of the tiny, sickly firstborn daughter of Rumplestiltskin and Belle, Elizabeth, and Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold's version of Grace. Taken from her mother at birth, she finds her father first as an adopted child and grows a strong, unbreakable bond with him that will last for all time. An amazing story of trust, love, and the bond between a father and his daughter.
1. Prolougue

Prolougue

_"Just because a life is broken, it doesn't mean you should throw it away..."-Tom Smith, the Trainer of Seabiscuit_

The first time he saw her she was half-buried in the snow…barely alive. Close to blacking out, she could only see a bit of him through her half blindness and fading vision. He looked upon the young girl with such sympathy that he hadn't had in years. She gazed into his eyes…for she had no trust in humans but she was somehow unafraid of him. He brought her inside, lifting her up into his golden skinned, leather clad arms out of the drift. If it was anyone else that was dying in a snowstorm, the imp wouldn't give them a second thought….but she was just a child whose parents(or so he thought) had abandoned her. The concept of abandonment disgusted him and tore at his dark soul and made his stomach turn. Anger boiled in his blood for whoever had done such a cruel deed, leaving a poor, helpless creature such as this one to fend for themselves. He would give anything to have another child after what had happened with his son, and even made deals in such a way that he would receive a child as his end of the deal. She was crying out of pure instinct as he was holding her, even though she had no idea what was going on. "Shhhh….." he whispered to the poor thing. He soon entered his laboratory to a table where he kept instruments of torture for anyone who dared cross him. In an instant, he knocked every horrible device that was on that table off it and replaced it instantly with blankets and a pillow. If this girl was going to survive tonight, he would have to work fast indeed. As he took a potion out of his cabinet that was made to heal wounds, he could start to hear her crying once again…cries that were more heartbreaking and gut wrenching then Belle's when she had first come here….cries of pain and suffering that should never be heard coming from a child. He started going into a sheer panic himself…..for the potion had no effect once it was tried. One by one, he grabbed everything he had. Again, nothing…it only resulted in her crying out again. "God Dammit!" he growled…for the concept of his magic not working on this girl was both frustrating and ironic. As far as he knew, the dark one had no limits to healing wounds….and the one time he chose to heal or save a person, it didn't work. The girl's very existence seemed to be fading away on him. He instinctively grabbed a hold of her hand, as if to keep her tethered to the world and to him. He paced around her nervously, not knowing what to do. This was the first time in years that he had felt truly helpless. Now he knew that he would be forced to save her in a slow and painful way….but he had to start instantly. The imp practically flew to a "first aid" sort of box that he had when Baelfire was still with him…to his luck he found some bandages and some thread and a needle. He first exposed all of her wounds to the night air, and nearly gagged at some of them. "Look at all this blood…." He drawled with wide eyes full of sympathy. "Please hang in there…..please…." he begged the child…he might not be able to heal her, but at least he could give her, her best chance. The last thing he wanted to do was cause her anymore pain, but he had to close up and dress those wounds before they were infected…if they weren't already. He was no doctor…but at least he could try. He put on a leather apron that was previously stained by the blood of someone who dared steal from him, and he set to work on the girl. The "operation" took five hours, the cleaning out of two very large puncture wounds, one in the leg and one in the ribcage and several others, the stitching of the said wounds by his nimble fingers, the bandaging of them, and several groans from him at the sight of such cruelty. During which, she was technically dead for several minutes but revived by magic…and at the end of the revival and a growl from him as well from the magic electrocuting him back, a loud cry, sounding very similar to the sound of a newborn rang throughout the castle for the first time. In legends from the enchanted forest…even though it had occurred in a cell in Regina's dungeon, this night in particular, December 27, would be hailed as the night that Rumplestiltskin's daughter was born.


	2. Chapter I

Chapter One

_"I have traveled many a weary mile..."-Oh Brother, Where Art Thou_

Having no other place to put her, he had no choice but to build, by hand, a small bed by the spinning wheel, in which he placed the shivering girl. As he slowly lowered her in, he looked at her weak form…she was so small and defenseless…and it dawned upon him that when she awoke, that she would try to make a run for it right away as he looked at his reflection in the goblet of water that he had placed by her bed. How could she not be afraid of him? Such a small girl would surely run for the hills, even if she would hobble and leave a trail of blood halfway there. So, as he saw her coming to, he sent a fireball into the fireplace of that great room, and then moved his chair back to a less lighted area, ashamed at his monstrous appearance. Slowly, her slow groans and moans of awakening echoed throughout the castle halls. She let out a gasp of air and a slow, nagging cough as she awoke. Looking around her, it was all so blurry…but she could see the outlines of a large room….and that was strange to her. Not having lived inside before, the feeling of warmth was new to her too, along with the feeling of the bandages and the softness of the blankets. Everything to her was a new sensation….but the one that attracted her the most…was the light that was before her…and when her blurred vision cleared…she gasped in awe. This beautiful place…it might has well have been heaven to her, for it did seem that way. But as she felt the sensation of pain coursing through her veins, she knew she was alive…someway, somehow, she was alive. But how alive? As her endless groans filled the air, it soon formed into words. "ughh….where…am I…what is this place…." His raspy, yet soft and sad voice spoke from the darkness, from an outline of a figure in the shadows. "Somewhere safe and warm….my castle." He spoke softer than he would have with most people, yet audible enough so that she could hear him…if she could in fact, hear him at all. At the voice of another person, she tensed up, her mistrust in humans taking over. But first, she wanted to make sure that he wasn't a foe before going any further, eyeing the figure with her cloudy grey eyes. "wh..who are you…" her voice shook as she pinned her back against the bed, shaking in fear and pain herself. It wasn't fear of him that drove her to act this way…but fear of everything in general. All the girl had lived with was pain and fear. "come into the light…." She narrowed her eyes to his direction, trying to see him. The beast stood to his feet, slowly approaching the girl as if he were afraid of her. As she looked upon him, she saw that he was different from the other humans…he may have had different skin, but his smile was kind and caring….there was a warmth about him that drew her to him, even though his skin appeared to be cold. Instead of turning away in fear as she was expected to, she just looked up at him and watched him. He outstretched his hand towards her. "please…don't be frightened, dearie…" he spoke in a reassuring tone, as if he was taming a wild animal…and to a certain affect he was. She looked up at him doubtful for a second. She stretched her neck weakly forward, and then painfully sat up, leaning on the walking staff that she had been traveling with for heaven knows how long. Her dull, glazed over eyes looked at him with a pained expression, almost unsure. He kept his hand outstretched just the same, bending down to the small girl's eye level. "I'm not going to hurt you…." Her eyes widened in not being sure of what he was doing, for no one had ever shown the poor creature kindness. Tenatively, she sniffed his hand, and for once, she was unafraid. It was as if she were smelling her own scent, it was strangely familiar to her. He had long nails, just as she did. He inched a little closer at a time and so did she, until he was able to sit beside the bed with her. Crossing one leg over the other, the imp looked at her with a curious look and a tilt of his head to one side, for he was curious about this girl. And quite frankly, he was disgusted that anyone could actually leave a child…something that he had longed for and wished every day that he would get the second chance to be a father…alone, scared, cold, fending for herself, starving, and sick. "Now my dear…what were you doing all alone out there…" she looked up at him and gulped, not knowing what to say. Her whole life she had been alone…and she didn't know what else to tell him…so she told him the truth. As horrible as it was…she had to tell him everything. For she felt she could, for his eyes gazed upon her so gently and with so much pity on her poor soul. So the girl began her sorrowful tale.

The last she could remember, she was apparently born in the wilderness, or abandoned there, something along that order. All she had remembered was that her bed was always the grass or the cold hard ground, and her only light was the sun and the stars and the lonely glow of the moon. She hadn't remembered a childhood…for as far as she thought she was an animal just like the herds in which she traveled with. Sometimes literally, for as long as she could remember, this mysterious, yet ill child had had powers that she couldn't explain, or even identify or control. There were times when this wild girl would shape shift into a horse and bolt, for she had remembered always having that ability. And she had always had the ability to make water move to her will, apparently having much control over that element. And it was necessary for the girl's survival, for there were many times that she had done that to escape one fearsome enemy in particular: the evil queen. She had spent most of her life up until now running from her, either in horse or human form. For no reason, the queen seemed to hunt her, taunt her, and torture her, for something that she didn't do. And yet there were other enemies still…horse thieves looking to cut her herd of horses and livestock that she traveled with, other cruel humans, and also hunters of the non human kind as well. The wolves had hobbled her, wounding her for life in one leg. Regina, of course, saw nothing but to take advantage of this. And so the girl was reduced to a fate very similar to the man before her before he had his powers….she was a cripple who had been kicked in the ribs and tasted the leather of Regina's boots far too many times. And eventually, all this suffering had made her sick…sicker than anyone the world had ever seen. And she could only get worse. Before she had been able to walk, but only with the walking staff that had come into the castle with her. Her only friend was a domesticated fox named Ruibin, which was now curled up near the fireplace. And then, it hit. The worst snow storm that the enchanted forest had ever seen had started to hit it with such fury as to knock the girl to the ground…and she had thought she was never going to get up again.

"So…that's…what happened to me…." Rumple could feel his heart aching with every single word for some reason. He had no responsibility or relation to this girl(as far as he could tell…) but somehow his heart broke a little more with every sentence of her tragic tale. For one, she was just like him in some aspects…even the same leg and rib wounds. But unfortunately for this girl, there was no way out. He immediately, as if on instinct, squeezed her hand. "I am so sorry child…but…it doesn't have to be that way any longer…". As she felt the touch on her hands, she tensed at first and then relaxed a little, trying to get used to human contact. For it did feel rather nice to have someone actually comfort her for a change…or at least treat her like a person. She looked up at him with her brown eyes full of uncertainty. "What..what are you talking about?" for to her, she was beyond all hope. "I mean…you can stay here….if you want…"


	3. Chapter II

Chapter 2

_"Love Is Hope..."-Belle_

The girl didn't know what to think now. She had never received a kind word from anyone or anything before, and yet this man, when gazing upon her frail, useless, nearly non-existent form was not only willing to give her what she needed, but also willing to let the stray, wild girl stay in his castle with him. There had been so many lonely nights out in the wilderness when she had looked up at the stars and wished upon the largest for something she craved much more then food or water or even a nice warm place to put herself up for the night, or the cure for an advancing disease…she had wished for another person to love her…particularly love her as their child. Even the slightest show of affection would be good enough. It was enough for her just now, with him holding her snow white hand and willing to listen to her sorrowful tale without turning away from her and giving up on her. This man….this wonderful man…was giving her what she needed most: another chance. And all she had to do now was to give him, as another person, a second chance in return. The human race had done nothing short but slowly and painfully wipe her off the face of the earth, like some unwanted species that had to be contained for society's sake. Needless to say, the thought of someone being kind to her like this was almost alien in concept. She stared at him in disbelief, but couldn't help the smile that was starting to form on her face. She could feel her once wounded heart healing from within her, just a little at a time, as a warm feeling spread across her cold body. "what…what are you saying…." She drawled as he tentatively came closer to her, not wanting to scare her or startle her. "Dearie…what I'm saying…is that this is your home now…if you should want it…" he looked away a little, almost afraid of her answer. He was afraid that she would never accept him…and that she would never want to live with a monster such as him. For she looked so small and defenseless that he couldn't blame her for not wanting to stay with him…but there was something different about this one. When he touched her, she didn't shudder at his claws. She never recoiled in fear when she was around him, and seemed even unafraid of him in the first place. But he would feel a wave of relief hit him as she gave a smile that was bigger and brighter than anything that he could ever imagine. Her brown eyes started to water with happy tears "Oh thank you….thank you so much!" In a flash and much to his surprise, the unnaturally tiny girl clutched the walking staff that was near her and slowly and painfully, started to walk towards him. But before he could even bend down, she had instantly hugged his legs and leaned against him, bracing her pained body against his legs. For the first time in her life, she had a smile…a real, genuine smile. She had a reason to smile now…for she was getting a whole new chance of life. It was almost as if she had trusted him immediately, and as if she had trusted humans all of her life. She cried out happily as she let the tears of pure joy fall unto his leather boots. "Thank you…thank you so much Mr….." she blushed a little realizing that she had not asked his name yet and he shook his head and smiled down at her "Rumplestiltskin…at your service, my lady…" he bowed playfully and then lowered himself down a little so he could be closer to her. Then he stared into those cloudy brown eyes of hers, noticing that she must have been half blind in one of them. "and you are?" he asked with a smile on his own toothy faced grin. She blushed again and bowed her head in embarrassment a little, since she had none. She didn't say anything, but he could tell just by instinct what the problem was. "oh…well then we'll just have to give you one, won't we…" he helped her back to the bed, noticing the painful stumbling that existed in her gait. Encouraging her to lay down again, he started walking around the room. He put his finger to his chin as he thought about it, looking at the girl cautiously. He above all people knew that a name could always define a person, and so if he was given the responsibility of naming this girl, he knew that he had better be careful in choosing one. "hmmm…" he hummed as he tapped his finger on his chin a little. He then looked at her once more before calling out a suggestion "Margie? Hmm…no…you don't look like one…" he continued to study the girl's features. Her frame was gaunt, but she had the most beautiful brown eyes and brown hair that he had ever seen, and that hair was almost a painful reminder of his Belle. And she was so tiny too…he came up to about his knee, if he was lucky. She probably came up to his shin in height, in all actuality. "Verna?" he suggested once more. This was a long night coming….and that name sounded horrible.

A few hours had gone by, and as the time went, he still couldn't decide on a name. She had fallen asleep, but her labored breathing could still be heard whistling throughout the castle halls like a storm wind blowing harshly through the trees. But, he was drawn to her when he heard her wake up and start to cry and whimper helplessly as she felt newfound pain and the discomfort of itching old bandages run through her and grip her. His eyes couldn't help but soften…and even…water up a bit as he stared at her. "My gods, girl…." He drawled as he approached her and sat by her bed, and at once she reached for his hand again. Her whole life, she had never felt safe enough to cry or really show any emotion…for it showed weakness to predators all around her. But now? Forget it…every tear that she never shed flew from her eyes as she clung to his side, weeping into his leathery crocodile skin patterned suit. He, as if by instinct, began to whisper to her to attempt to at least calm her down "shhh…it's alright…it's going to be alright…you're safe now…" he then realized that her bandages probably needed to be changed, for he noticed the small outline of the blood now shadowing the old bandage. "I'm going to need you to hold still, alright?" she nodded with tears flowing from her eyes. He hovered over her protectively and looked into her eyes to make her feel safe and have something to concentrate on to get her through the pain, so he gazed into her eyes with his amber eyes. His nimble fingers worked efficiently as he undid the bandages she had on and gently cleansed her open wounds, still shuddering at how painful they must have felt. She clung to the sheets from the stinging but focused on his eyes, for neither one of them knew it but they were bonding in this moment. He had replaced the bandages softly…and he was so gentle with her…a rare thing to be seen in the dark one. She was still crying, though not as much when it was over with, the pain and grief of all those years of suffering finally catching up to her. His eyes seemed to soften even more and then…at this point the parental instinct started to kick in. He at once scooped the girl up like a china doll, holding her in his leather clad golden arms as if she was a baby. And that's all she was to him…not a wild animal but an innocent, sweet child who had been taken advantage of and mistreated. On blind instinct alone, he started to softly sing a lullabye that slowly came into his head:

"_Come stop your crying it'll be alright,_

_Just take my hand, and hold it tight,_

_I will protect you from all around you,_

_I will be here, don't you cry…" _

And instinct was turned on for her too as she slowly started to relax in his arms, for she had tensed at first, not used to human contact, but it felt wonderful to her to feel this sort of closeness. As she started to snuggle into his chest instinctively and out of affection, he started to rock her a little bit and sing some more, yet quietly so only she and him could hear it.

_"For one so small, you seem so strong,_

_My arms will hold you, keep you safe and warm,_

_This bond between us can't be broken, _

_I will be here don't you cry._

_You'll be in my heart, you'll be in my heart,_

_From this day on, now and forever more…"_

And in that moment, a bond had indeed started to form between the two, and as the imp glanced down at the shaking little body now snuggling into his chest, he told himself that she was truly a miracle, instead of a mistake as others saw her. And then….came the name. Belle had told him long ago what she would name a little girl if she ever had one. It meant "heaven's promise" and it was definitely true in this case, for she was giving him a chance to love again. As he looked down at her with a tender gaze, he smiled. "I'm going to call you…Elizabeth…."


	4. Chapter III

Chapter 3

_" If he could learn to love another, and earn her love in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time. As the years passed, he fell into despair and lost all hope. For who could ever learn to love a beast?"-Beauty and the Beast._

As he watched her sleep that night, he could still hear her breathing…it was so labored, as if every breath hurt her…which it probably did. Normally at this hour, he would be spinning, but he had a feeling that watching the wheel tonight wouldn't help him forget all of the horror and the wonder that he had taken in tonight. He would give anything, anything at all for another chance at being a father. Since he had lost Bae, losing him to his cowardice and lust for power, the thought haunted him like a shadow of what could have been. Like many nights, there would be no sleeping for the imp tonight. Most he could never, for dreams and memories of his shadows of his long and weary path haunted him, beckoning him to madness. Being an immortal, he could luckily avoid sleep, but there was a part of him that was still human and need the sleep. Most of those lonely nights were spent by the wheel as the snow, wind, or rain of the mountains blew across the formidable walls of his fortress, the only other sound being the creaking of the wheel. Now it was different, for even though the girl was sleeping it actually felt like he was no longer alone. He decided to watch her sleep, and while doing so, his darker side was melting away for this girl little by little. Any other person would have been left for dead, or even taken prisoner by this creature, but not her. Seeing something that had been treated so horridly disgusted him and further slandered his taste for humanity. How could anyone do such a thing, he thought, leaving a crippled girl who was no bigger than a medium sized dog fend for herself out among the beasts and dangers of the enchanted forest? The thought of what had been done to her tore at his darkened soul, and something deep within him just wanted to grab her and kiss her all over like a mother would their child and tell her how beautiful she was and what a good little thing she was. He wanted to give her the life that he could not give his son, and he now wanted this child as his very own. In all truth, he had been thinking night and day about getting another through a deal, one that was healthy and worth his end of the deal. No one though, expected him to actually adopt one that was so broken. In his mind, though, it was a much different story, for he had been broken much himself, and now he was an all powerful dark one, capable of doing anything that he wanted to. Sometimes he couldn't even look at her because the sight was so heartbreaking, his darker side still leading Rumple away from doing the right thing. But as he gazed down at the little bundle wrapped in tattered sheepskin, buckskin, and cattle skin clothing which clearly was made by her own hands, spotted with dried blood, sweat, and tears, it made him want to give her more than she could imagine. The girl was actually quite beautiful, and even reminded him of Belle, for her hair was reddish brown and she seemed to emulate that she had the potential to love everyone with every bit of care in her heart…only if she was loved in return. Yet, bittersweet and strange indeed, she looked eerily like him in her facial features and in those amber colored eyes of hers. In fact, she looked like a complete mix between the two. It warmed his heart and had broken it at the same time, for it only reminded him of what could have been…this would be their child if they had started a family together. He shook his head at the garments that she was wearing, for he couldn't magically dress her since magic had absolutely no effect on her, but in the morning he would try to draw a bath for her and magic up much more comfortable and much finer clothing then what she was used to. For if this was going to be his second chance at somewhat of a fatherhood, he would never let his new little girl dress in rags. She was going to have the finest of everything, he told himself, for she had the potential of being the dark one's daughter after all. Even though with every hard breath, you could tell that she could be beyond saving, he had high hopes for her. He saw that look in her eyes when she had held eye contact with him for the first time. Underneath their cloudy surface he could see the distant fighting spirit of a champion deep inside her soul, and he could feel that same wild spirit emulating from deep within her. It made complete sense to her that she could turn into a horse, for he could see that her spirit could not be contained by any disease. "my gods…." He drawled as he just stared at her in wonder, wondering how she had come so far to begin with. Her ribs could be seen clearly throughout the roughly hewn clothing, but something else could be seen as well. He narrowed his eyes in confusion, for it looked like some sort of a pinkish glow was coming from her sleeve. Being careful not to disturb her from her sleep, for she seemed as if she had not slept in years, he slid what was in there out from it's buckskin cloak. He blinked when he lifted the object up. It was a rose….a glowing rose. And it seemed to be wilting. He held it just as tenderly as he had held both her and the chipped cup that he had been pining over every night since Belle had disappeared. He closed his eyes and concentrated, for he could always tell what a magical item was for just by seeking deep within and finding the answer, and suddenly, through the whisper of the wind brought to him a prophecy whose words echoed into his very soul, and it was addressed not to him, but to the girl.

_"Your journey will be hard and long,_

_Sadder than the widow's song,_

_And unless you accept your destiny on high,_

_On the last petal's wilting, you will die…" _

His eyes shot open in horror at that last verse, nearly dropping the rose on the floor. He now realized that if something was not done, it would only be a matter of time before…no, he couldn't think about it. He could see it now though, as he just looked at her. Deep down, he knew that her chance of survival was slim to say the least. With shaking hands and wide eyes, he moved towards an empty table that had no other item of power, importance, or beauty on it. He managed to magic up a glass dome to protect the rose, which now was carefully preserved on the table's marble surface. He shuddered, not wanting to think about what was going to happen to her. And as he thought about something else, another prophecy that a seer had told him long ago had come into mind, and his eyes were once again wide…

"_There will be a girl and a boy…the boy will be your undoing….and the girl will be your salvation…" _

Could this foundling be the one the prophecy was speaking of? Could she be the one meant to save him from the darkness and at least give him human emotion again? It certainly made sense, for that was all she caused him to feel was emotions that he had been dead to since long ago. And yet another sleepless night went by, as he pondered over all of this. And such would be the start of many sleepless nights to come and many worried days to follow.


	5. Chapter IV

Chapter 4

_"So she needs...a home."-Rumplestiltskin_

The next few days would be the most volatile for the both of them. As delicate and as pained as Elizabeth looked, she had that riled up free spirit that couldn't stand to lie still. Moving along with her walking staff, he noticed her getting into everything in sight. Sometimes he couldn't help but smirk and feel a bit of pride at her efforts, for she was trying so hard…and every single time she walked, even with those crutches he could tell that the pain was increasing by the minute. He saw the twist in her face whenever she moved, and his heart wrenched in response at the sight. He kept encouraging her just the same. Elizabeth was unaware at the pain and clearly ignoring the fact that she was getting worse. She had nothing but a huge grin all the day long, her heart healing rapidly, unlike the rest of her body. She had never lived in an enchanted castle before, or inside. So scuttling around on her crutches, she was inching her way around the halls, exploring no matter what the pain might hold for her. Because of this, Rumple had to either watch her closely or do something else to ensure her safety. Before she got up again after falling into his arms when he helped her walk, he brought out a little bell tied onto a blue ribbon, kneeling down on the ground beside her. "dearie…this'll alert me when you're in trouble…" he whispered, for he always seemed to speak in his softest tone of voice with her. He still wanted to get her to come to him and to trust him, which clearly, she already did. But Rumple was a very critical man when it came to looking at himself. She herself had felt comfortable calling him "Rumple" now, and had never heard his name spoken in such a gentle voice before. "okay mister Rumple…" she smiled obediently up at him and then painfully and shakily stood up on her crutches, then scurried off into the great room. Something she always wanted to do if she ever had the chance to be inside a house was to test her echo, like she had done in the mountains. And all he could do was smile when she let our her weak echo, which sounded like a wolf cub claiming it's first territory, ring through the castle walls. "that's it girl…" he murmured to himself, glad that she was adjusting to her new surroundings. For some reason, she knew how to navigate this castle and always would somehow end up coming back to where he was. He had a feeling that he was her safety zone, that person that she could always go to when he felt too weak and any space near him was the place where she felt the safest. And if she got scared of a random noise, she always had the option of hiding behind him. Elizabeth always seemed to be spooked by the smallest things. Perhaps it was an echo from her past in the wilderness, persuading her to look out for the most suspicious or the least suspicious, and to her, everything was suspicious, except for him. He was just about the only thing he was sure of and was the only person whom she had ever trusted. And when she went for another fall, he was the first to appear behind and catch her with his protective hands, holding her up and hugging her tightly to his chest. All the same, he tried to let her explore as much as possible. For the longest time, she had to be responsible and look out for herself…and now…she just needed to learn how to be a kid again. And illness wasn't all he saw in her, for he looked past that to see the champion within. There were so many wonderful attributes to this girl that she seemed to take for granted…or just maybe there was no one in the past to show her that she was special before. He took note that she loved to read as well. Among the very little amount of items that she had brought in her satchel, was an old, weathered copy of _The Odyssey _which he noticed her reading constantly. It was bittersweet, for it amazed him just the same how she had taught herself how to read, but it also reminded him of Belle. And what's more, she seemed to have an odd ability for reading ancient languages just as she did. She had that same look in her dull eyes when she read…that excited look of a pirate who had just found a map or a herder that had just purchased some prospective summer breeding stock. It was the exciting look that she used to get on her face whenever a new book waited for her, like a new adventure waiting to happen.

He also took care of her basic needs, or at least tried to. He had gotten rid of those old rags that she was dressed in, stained with her blood, sweat, and tears, and put it in a box, labeling it DECEMBER 27 and locking it away in the west wing. At the time, she had been well enough to bathe herself, but the feeling of being clean was alien. What also felt strange and wonderful at the same time were the clothes that he had conjured for her. It was a soft blue satin gown with a matching ribbon in her hair. The fabric felt softer than anything that she had ever felt against her skin. When Elizabeth got tired, she would lay by her new guardian on the windowsill in the great room while he spun gold. She mostly slept when he was spinning, so she hadn't asked him about it yet. Having magical powers of her own, they understood each other now, though she hadn't used a drop of magic since her fall in the snow, too afraid to do so. Needless to say, life at the dark castle for the first day or two was a huge adjustment. In her eyes though, it was nowhere near dark, but the most beautiful place that she had ever crossed paths upon. The mountains made the sky look as if it could go on forever, and the air provided much easier for her failing lungs up here. And the most surprising part, especially to him, was that she would actually seek affection from him. By the looks of her, he could tell that she had been without it. It took such a simple thing as a smile, or a touch of his hand, or even saying her name softly once in a while to encourage her to come to him to make her feel more at ease. And it was strange to him as well, for he could conjure anything she desired, but the thing she wanted most was attention and love. That thought warmed his heart some. And he was more than grateful that she never bothered him during his work, so he didn't mind her settling closer to him to give herself comfort. In fact, he liked having the presence of a child around him again. It had reminded him of Bae. It made his day a little less lonely and hers as well. She found herself not being able to fall asleep until he was holding her hand, which he would absentmindedly do as he spun by her little bed. All seemed to be going well, but she was getting worse by the day, and that could be clearly seen. And what happened three days after she came home would turn the imp's life upside down. And it had been expected that something was about to happen…for she seemed so restless, as if she were being surrounded by some cage like an animal. And he knew that something awful was coming….for the rose in the glass case was wilting far faster than had been expected by him. Like her own disease, the wolves of the mountains sent up an eerie howl out of hunger to consume all that had come into their path. And Rumplestiltskin, the dark one himself, could do nothing but watch it consume her, as he had let the darkness consume him. But he now had a chance to lighten his black heart for good, and he was going to do everything in return to give this girl that one small sliver of hope of survival. Yet like a train at full speed, it was barreling right towards her…and there was no escape from it crippling her for good.


	6. Chapter V

Chapter 5

_"What will happen now, and what in the long outcome will befall me?"-Homer, The Odyssey _

There was nothing particularly foreboding about that sunny, yet eerily cold winter morning in the dark castle, for it started out just like any morning would there. Elizabeth, on the other hand, felt that it was quite different than expected already. She got up with more lethargy and reluctance than she usually did, as if she felt bricks on her back and shoulders weighing her down towards the bed with every effort. Sighing shakily, she shrugged it off as she usually did with everything else wrong with her. Rumplestiltskin had assured the poor girl that there was nothing wrong with her…that she was just different than everybody else. However, being different wasn't easy…and it was about to get much, much harder. And her morning routine started out the same…losing all of the contents that she had tried to keep down in her stomach, locking herself in the washroom for at least an hour. He had begged that she let him come in, even to the point of banging on the door out of worry, but she wept and insisted that she didn't want him to see her like this. After she finally left it and come back to lay down in the bed beside the spinning wheel where she usually spent most of her day, other than the library. There was no trying to walk for her today…and that concerned him most of all. She seemed to be restless, though, and kept circling the bed, as if she were waiting for hunters to come and take her away. She cast glances all around her, as if she was suspicious of even the space around her. She usually felt so safe near him, but she felt as if some sort of darkness was sneaking up on her…a fate so inescapable that even as a horse, she wouldn't be able to outrun it. The way in which she circled it had made her appear like one who was laying down to die. He never spun today either, but just cast nervous, worried glances over at her, scared for her. And her restlessness was only part of it that he knew. Every time she moved, she felt as if the world was spinning around her, as if the room was tilted. Her vision was even more glazed over and clouded than usual. Her chest felt so heavy today. Shivering, below her neck and sweating all over her head, her cold sweat seemed to chill and heat her entire body at the same time. It was like this all morning, and all through till the afternoon. He had been so concerned that he snapped at any dealer who dare come into the castle this morning. "I'm not dealing today, and leave at once!" was his greeting to any who dared come in, and then he would scurry back to the room with the girl. This had been the whole worried atmosphere until the afternoon…when it happened. She was leaning on the spinning wheel, her hand over her thin ribs. Her eyes were closed, unable to take the spinning of the room any longer. She was sweating coldly as her hearing could pick up nothing but an echo. "R…rumple…" she spoke softly and shakily, looking desperately over at him, near tears. Pain seemed to spread through her body that was worse than ever before. It ran through her veins like a river of fire, and burned over everything in which it passed. His eyes wide, he knelt down to her eye level and brushed a piece of hair out of her pale face. "my child…what's wrong…what's happening…" she shook like a leaf as she leaned on him now, clinging to his shirt. She felt the ground pulling her down…or perhaps it was the air pressure pushing her? Either way, that's what the feeling of the moment felt like. "I…I…I feel weird…." And in that sudden moment, seconds seemed to last milliseconds, and time moved like a bird of prey among the young girl's tiny, frail body. She sunk into the ground, into his arms and into the darkness of fainting. His screams of horror on the other hand, could be easily heard even from the fortress and into the very air surrounding the enchanted forest. "ELIZABETH!" All that he had witness happen to this poor girl was getting to the emotions in him that had been locked away so long ago, and all at once they were let free in a torrent of tears of worry and sorrow. What if she never woke up? What if he had in fact, failed to protect her? What if he had failed her like he had failed Bae? He could not let this happen…he could not let disease claim her. But for a few moments, he allowed himself to weep as he carried her to a much larger and more comfortable bed….his own.

It was hours before she had woken up again, and when she did, it was to a fate that was far too horrible for some words to describe. If one could imagine being trapped inside one's own body, this would be it. Even the light seemed to hurt her when she tried to open her eyes. The tiny, now even more fragile than anyone could possibly imagine child cried in response to too much stimulation. She tried to move her body more than once, but every time she did, a fresh wave of pain would move through her body like a violent wave upon a low shore. It knocked her like the river that she used to control with her powers, until she was drowning in agony, reaching out for his hand for comfort and for the need to be saved. "I'm so sorry…" he whispered as he sat by her side, taking her little hand in his. He rubbed the back of it, though it was so small that her hand could only hold on to a few fingers of his, which he readily gave to her to hold. As those tiny little fingers curled around his clawed golden ones, he looked at the wall with determination, straight ahead. No. Not this time. He was not going to lose another child. As he looked at the rose, almost all of it had wilted, but he wasn't going to let that daunt him any longer. His amber eyes flickered with promise and dedication. For that moment, he ignored the fact that he was the dark one. He ignored the fact that he was destined to ruin yet another relationship in his life, but unlike the others, this girl needed him right here, right now, to promise her. She needed a father, she needed a protector, and she needed a caretaker…and he would give her all of that and more, no matter how slim the chance of survival was or how dark he had allowed himself to supposedly become. "I will take care of you…" he promised her as he wiped away the stray tears that had fallen down her pale cheeks with his long, nimble fingers. "I promise you this Elizabeth…as long as you live…you will never be alone again." And with that, he pressed his forehead to hers. She opened her eyes slightly to see him now, as she instantly calmed down the second that she was told that. She really never had a stable life, and even though this life that she had now was more and more painful with each passing moment, she now had one just the same. And seeing her so helpless, he would get to do something that he hadn't been able to do in years…take care of a child. For Elizabeth was so helpless that she could just barely open her eyes, paralyzed from her pain, that the only thing he could think of now was take care of her….as if she were a baby. The notion had seeded in his mind, due to the fact that she was so tiny to begin with. And ability wise, she wasn't much different than a newborn. And as she was calmed back down to sleep again as he touched her face affectionately, he went over to the wheel, thinking of all of the things that he would have to magic up…for it had been so long that a child had been in his care…but he was once a father, and he had made up his mind. As he began to spin just out of wanting to do something with his hands as his thoughts filled with this, he murmured to himself. "I can do it again…I know I can…" And here was where his second chance at fatherhood really began…with that helpless little bundle asleep in his bed. But still…it had been a few hundred years at least. As he ran through his mind over and over the things that he would need and what he would need to do, he took a deep breath and went to his room to start to tend to her…this was going to be a long night indeed.


	7. Chapter VI

Chapter 6

_"There's something sweet, and almost kind. But he was mean and he was coarse and unrefined. But now he's dear, and so unsure.I don't know why I didn't see it there before."-Belle, "Something There", Beauty and the Beast_

As he looked over this whimpering, frail, barely alive little thing burrowed into the blankets on his bed, he took a deep breath just looking at her. Being a father was no strange concept to him, for he had raised Baelfire on his own, his mother being too ashamed to be around the town coward, or even felt too prideful to have brought his son into the world. He had both the mother and the father for that family, and he wondered if he could do the same all over again. After all, back then all he was, in the basic of terms, was a humble spinner with a crooked leg on his own, who was never spared from the ridicule of the god forsaken village in which he lived in. And he had lost his child to his own lust for power…and he swore that if he had gained the chance to be a father again, that she or he would never suffer the same fate. Just a few days ago, he had been no more than a warped, frustrated creature that sought pleasure in causing misery and mischief, with only his wheel to chase away the loneliness of an empty castle. Yet now, a flood of instinct long forgotten pumped into his blood, which felt to him as if the icy rivers inside of him were breaking apart and melting by the minute. The usual cold feeling that he had in his golden scaled body was no longer noticeable. He felt that dark part of him dying inside of him, it's dark whispers hushed by the onset of parental instinct. As he looked upon her, it was if Bae was still with him, and was sleeping in his cradle in the other room. He had a son, and now there was also a daughter…for that's how he viewed her, no matter what anybody said about her blood. His mind shut off as instinct took over, as soon as her weak cries echoed throughout his dusty old room. Her eyes were still closed, but she would open them a little once in a while, just to see him…just to bond with him and to make sure that he was still there. Seeing her cry out of pain like a newborn, a switch was turned on inside of him, like an old familiar voice, telling him exactly what to do. Without even thinking about it, he reached for her, gently and ever so carefully scooping her up into his arms. He looked down at her with tenderness, seeing her instantly calm down when she was in them. She always felt so safe and warm in his grasp, and she, like always when he had hugged her, snuggled right into his chest. He smiled softly now, with a soft smile that had not been on his lips for decades. "such a sweet girl…yes you are, aren't you?" he cooed softly. He had never even met anyone as loving as this before. Her affection seemed to have no end for him, and as he could already tell, she loved him so much. He began to think again about the care that he was supposed to provide for this tiny little life that he held in his flecked and clawed hands. Just like a baby, he told himself, and he began to realize that due to her inability to move, that going to the washroom was no longer an option. Smirking a little, he laid her down on the bed "just for a minute dear…" and she obediently listened to him, for she never gave him any trouble, even now. She was just grateful to be with him, and even though her pain was excruciating, she didn't care as long as she was with him and under his care. She ignored the pain as she looked up at him, keeping eye contact. And he was still amazed that she could look right into the eyes of this "monster" and not flinch. First, he changed out her bandages once again, which hopefully he could take off in another day or so. Since she was more sensitive this time, he did it softly and slowly, cleansing the wounds very gingerly. And when she felt the sting as she normally did, he kissed her forehead to soothe away her new tears. It always worked. Once that was settled, he now started on his next task with her. Now more than ever, he thanked his stars that he had magic to assist him. Waving his hand, he produced a cloth in it and started to put it on her as a diaper for her to wear. His nimble fingers were actually quite perfect for this sort of thing as he easily made some safety pins appear beside him to fasten it, being extra careful not to poke her. She knew that it would probably come to this, but the tiny girl blushed anyway, her face red with embarrassment. He couldn't help but stifle a giggle at that, for he had found it adorable. The imp wanted to do nothing but cradle her at that point….for how could someone so damaged and so abandoned be so innocent at the same time? And she apparently wanted the same thing, since she held her tiny little arms out to him….and at that point his heart just…melted. Instead of it's surface of stone, weathered and scarred from years of rejection and loss, there was now a human heart filled with warmth beating within the chest of the imp. And more was to come for them to bond.

There was also the matter of her nourishment…looking at her thin body with her ribs easily visible made him sad beyond belief. It hurt him that he, the dark one, could not even feed his own child properly. But there was light at the end of the tunnel. For all he had to remember was that Elizabeth was like a newborn now…and eating solid food, once again, was another thing that she could not do. Obviously, a liquid diet was necessary. Yet every time he tried a glass of something, she was so helpless at this point that she couldn't even bring herself to lap it up like a dog…for she had not lost those animal like tendencies that had been needed for just survival all of these years. But now, she could shed them, for she was no longer a wild beast, but a small, helpless child who needed constant attention and care. But as he was working on his lab, an idea suddenly came to his head while she was sleeping. If she had to be held and changed like a baby…why not feed her like one as well? It was the only practical solution that he could think of. Once again, he was thankful for the magic. He smirked as he looked over at her snoring gently in her little bed, shaking his head "I work for you now, don't I?" he teased in a soft, impish voice so that he wouldn't wake her up. Yet he wanted another child so badly that the imp would do anything to make her comfortable, for he was so afraid of failing her. After a few hours of experimentation he returned to her bedside with a glass baby bottle filled with liquid food in his hand and a towel over his shoulder. She looked up at him in confusion when he woke up, and he smiled and explained what he was doing. "I think I know how you can eat something sweetheart….come here…." She was not hesitant, and practically crawled her way into his arms before he lifted her up. He cradled her with his face looking right up at his, having her lay comfortably in his one arm, being careful to support her head. She tried to sit up, but failed as usual with pain jolting through her as a reminder and whimpered. "No no dear…." He softly said as he rubbed her back. "I'm going to do it…just rest my wee one…" he cooed in his high pitched, yet Scottish accented voice as he gently put the bottle's end in her mouth, waiting for her to start to feed. She was confused for a few minutes as she just looked up at him, but then instinct took her over in just the same way that he had been, for she had aged to fast to ever been fed like this or cared for, but she slowly figured out what to do. Seeing and feeling her start to suckle, he smiled and kept it held up so that she would not choke but still get it out. He had to urge her to slow down though, since she was so hungry from years upon years of having little to no food at all. He couldn't help but giggle at the scene. "Easy there, dearie…." The whole time she was doing this though…she looked right up into the eyes of him once more, for this was how she had built bonds with her herd when she was living in the wild…through eye contact. He was so relieved, for he saw no signs of nausea within her precious face. "good girl…" he repeated over and over in a soft, whispering, cooing tone of voice. They both seemed to be lost in their own little world together, as if nothing else mattered…and the bond was to grow even stronger with the first midnight feeding.


	8. Chapter VII

Chapter 7

_"Then he went into the room where his very new baby daughter was sleeping. He picked her up in his arms and very slowly rocked her back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And while he rocked her he sang: I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, As long as I'm living_  
_my baby you'll be.-Robert Munsch, "I'll Love You Forever." _

It was midnight now at the dark castle, and a cold air blew through the windows. It tended to be drafty in the fortress on these days…but there was a new sort of warmth. It was once cold in feeling as well as temperature, for who could be comfortable living alone? Loneliness is like an icy winter wind…it fills the air with thoughts that could chill the human soul. And even though the air in the mountains was cold and bitter, it was no longer filled with the chill of loneliness. And the air in this moment in particular was filled with something else echoing throughout the halls that the master of this place had not heard in ages. It was the cries of his new child, wailing helplessly and sending her message to him in that manner. Even though there was not much need for him to sleep, he had fallen asleep at his spinning wheel tonight. It was much effort on his part to take care of a helpless child, since it had been at the very least hundreds of years since he had done it. Yet truth be told…he loved every minute of it. Hearing little Elizabeth's cries in his sleep however, awoke him in confusion for a moment. She had fallen asleep after her last feeding, which was her first, as most young babies did, but perhaps she needed another one? Or perhaps she needed to be changed? He had not done that with her as of yet….or perhaps she just needed comfort, for the pain in which the child felt was probably unbearable to say the least…which it was. It had felt like lightning pulsing through her bones and a river of fire flowing in her blood. Inability to speak had caused her to helplessly cry out of instinct to alert him. Groaning, he sat up and followed the echoes of the cries all the way back to his bedroom(in which he rarely slept, haunted by memories of Belle resting beside him one night in that very same room) in which she lay. She couldn't see him with her eyes, being that they were still closed, but she could smell him with her animal like instincts and hear his voice as he approached. "ehhhh….dearie…" he drawled a bit out of uncertainty as he started to lift her up into his arms. Even though his instinct was strong, they were both unprepared, him in uncertainty about what that crying meant, and her trying to tell him what she needed. Yet she was a bit calmer when she was being held by him, and buried her head into his chest, still whimpering. "shh…it's okay…" he whispered as he tried to figure out what was disturbing her besides the pain. He could not take the pain away, so he focused on the things he did to make her comfortable. Since she couldn't speak yet, he would have to figure out why she was crying on his own. The setting realization came into his head right now: that he was about to raise a sick, helpless child completely on his own. There would be no one to help the dark one with his baby. He pushed those thoughts right out of his mind, shaking his head. Alright, he told himself. No more daydreaming, for her crying was starting right up again, cries that were weaker and yet tore at his heart even more than Belle's dungeon cries had been long, long ago. "no no no! sweetheart no more tears…." He continued to shush her softly as he lay her down on the bed, near panicking, afraid that he had done something wrong already. Shaking his head, he checked her and realized she was, in fact, wet. "alright sweetheart, alright…" he cooed to the shaking little existence that was now looking up at him with tears in her multicolored eyes. "here we go…" he then started to change her slowly, blushing almost as much as her due to the fact that he was a little rusty in the parenting sense. It had taken a half hour, but he had finally figured out how to do it, holding eye contact with her the entire time to calm her. Her uneasiness and embarrassment faded away when he did that, for she had trusted him more than she had trusted anyone. He was the first person, in fact, that she had ever trusted. And these caretaking routines that he was going through with her only strengthened the bond that had seeded within their hearts and now was a strong root starting to grow deep within them both. After a while of his humming to help him concentrate and to fill the silence, he was finally done, thankfully being able to dispose of the dirty diaper by making it vanish into thin air. She immediately wanted to be back in his arms after that, and he couldn't help but smile at that. She obviously was so attached to the imp already….and he was just as attached to her. He immediately yet ever so gently lifted her up again, cradling her so that he could feed her from a comfortable position, both for him and for her. Smiling softly, he looked down at her a bit as she now half blindly looked up into his eyes. "you hungry?" he asked quietly, smiling kindly as he waved his hand, and in an instant, another bottle appeared in his free hand. And soon, she was nursing with ease once again. He sighed in relief that this had worked, that she was able to keep it down without throwing up. And there was no mess in feeding her either. As he sat down with her on the windowsill, putting his feet on the window frame, looking up at the stars as he hummed quietly to the little girl drinking from the bottle in his hand. Maybe he wouldn't be so bad at this whole fatherhood business, he thought. He looked down at her, finding her eyes stare right up into his. He had gotten so lost in their depth and in their color and in all their light that he had to be reminded by her nosing at the bottle for him to tip it. He giggled and smiled a little sheepishly, taken out of his reverie. "sorry dearie…" and soon, she had finally finished and leaned against him, for it always pained her even to do this, but hunger took over the brain when it was feeding time, and all other stimuli with exception for him was ignored for the sake of nourishment. Instinct had taken her just as much at it had him. After making the empty bottle vanish into thin air, he found her now looking up into his eyes once more. Oddly enough, she didn't seem to notice his magic…what she was really concentrated on was him.

Ever since he started caring for her, a theory had begun to form in the back of her mind whenever she looked at him. While living in the wilderness, she had heard children playing by the brook and calling their father's something…and she was more then ready to accept Rumplestiltskin as her new father. He would be her first family, and the first person that she would go to. She loved him so much, and as she looked up into the supposed "Beast"'s eyes, it could be clearly shown, even in her half blind vision. The world seemed to pause in this moment, and the winter wind held it's sharp breath as her weak little voice sent up a response to him that would echo in his mind, through this moment forever. "p…papa?" she inquired, looking up at him. His eyes widened at that and he drew a sharp breath. He thought of her as his daughter…but hearing her call him the same thing Bae used to…melted the rest of him that was still frozen. His heart melted right on the spot as he drawled out "wh..what?" "I can…call you that right?" Elizabeth, still being a bit on the timid side, was afraid of his reaction…and more then that, afraid of the reaction which she would get. Just as she was about to panic, he rocked her back and forth, happy tears starting to brew on the corners of his eyes. "yes…yes…" he repeated softly, whispering to her. "I am your papa now…" "you're my…papa…." She weakly repeated as she reached her little tiny hand up to touch his face, as if feeling his facial features kept her tethered to the world, as if to show that he was still there beside her, and that this wasn't all just a wonderful dream. She touched his nose weakly before setting her shaky hand directly on his golden flecked cheek. He inhaled, feeling her hand on his face. Closing his eyes for a moment, he suddenly realized that the feeling of fatherhood now was a reality. All these years, after all the deals he had made for another child, all of them unsuccessful, here she was, snuggled in his arms. He whispered in soothing tones to her, rocking her back and forth as he spoke softly "It's alright Elizabeth. Your papa's here…."


	9. Chapter VIII

Chapter 8

_"Now she's here shining in the starlight, Now she's here suddenly I know, If she's here it's crystal clear, I'm where I'm meant to go. And at last I see the light, And it's like the fog has lifted, And at last I see the light, And it's like the sky is new, And it's warm and real and bright, And the world has somehow shifted. All at once everything is different, Now that I see you..."-I See The Light, Tangled _

Holding this frail, fragile existence in his arms, Rumplestiltskin looked down at her with utter affection, his eyes still lighting up in amazement whenever he looked at her…and he looked at her the same way in which a parent would look at a new baby, holding them the first time. It was definitely past midnight now, but he did not care. This was the moment he had been dreaming of for years…being able to hold another child that wouldn't recoil in fear from the sight of him. He didn't know what to do first…there was so much to be done knowing she now could be his. He wanted to give her everything…a rich life that he could not give his son. Not only would he give her the best of care but also the top of the line quality of everything else. This once wild stray would be treated like a princess…the dark one's princess. He couldn't have imagined what sort of welcome she had been given when she was first born…probably born right into the harsh cold wilderness, dumped there as soon as she was born(which in fact, she was), as if she wasn't worth fighting for or even naming. And she was worth it, and worth more to him now more than all of the treasures, both magical and not, that he had accumulated all of these years. She was born as a nobody before…but this was her second birth, a second chance to come into the world for the first time…not as a mangy wild girl with no name and no future but to desperately attempt to survive...no…she would be brought into the world again as the dark one's princess. She was so beautiful…so loving and kind and sweet…and such a little miracle that she deserved to have her greatness known once and for all. At once, he conjured a golden blanket to wrap the child in and did so, carefully tucking her frail body into the folds of it, swaddling her to make sure she would be warm. He then stood up, smiling down at her all that time as he made his way out on to the balcony of his room. Like him, it overlooked the rest of the enchanted forest, it's view extending so far as to assume that he was king of all he surveyed…the king of the deal, that was. The most powerful here were not those who were ruling in their high palaces by the sea…no…it was those who could manipulate the royals with their use of the magic arts who truly had control…and Rumplestiltskin was the most powerful man in that world…and probably in others as well. Looking out into the sky, black blue and dotted with shining diamonds that were the stars, the moon bleaching out everything around it, he lifted his hand. As if appearing out of thin, dead air, what seemed to be a shooting star in the heavens exploded into the night. Fireworks…it was how things were announced among those in power, and this was no different. What else could you expect for the arrival of the princess of the deal? For so long, this castle had seen nothing but darkness, even on the full moon, it's light would barely shine upon it. And now color seemed to burst out into the atmosphere around it, painting it's dark surface with the shadow and glow of fireworks. It was said that night that no one in the enchanted forest could sleep that it was such a large display. The residents knew who lived there….yet never imagined in an eternity that the dark one would send fireworks above his castle. Rumors would surely start to spread in the morning, yet he had no care for that now. All he cared was that she had been made known just like any other of royal birth. The haunting shadow of her illness could not even darken this moment…and yet a part of him still whispered Belle's name to him…and his longing for her to see this. He himself was amazed at what he had done above him, seeming to explode the stars into the night, until the entire sky above the dark castle was filled with color and light…things so unusual and rare to this fortress beforehand. Even the moon was drowned out by it. He held the child a bit higher in his arms to show her. "It's all for you my child…" he whispered to her.

Her own eyes were wide seeing this display, and her vision cleared up more than it ever had. Perhaps it was the pure tears of joy and love that brought her to be at least relieved of her blindness, or perhaps it was seeing color and light for the first time. Happy tears continued to flood them, spilling over her eyelids. In a span of a week, her life had completely changed. She had gone from a little nomadic herder with no name, scaling the dangerous mountains, valleys, and dense woods of the enchanted forest, being pulled on by an undeniable instinct to follow a river…that eventually led her to this life. In her old life, she had been treated as less than human. She had been kicked, whipped, thrown against trees, bitten, stoned, hit, shot at by arrows and many other torturous acts. Yet now, she would be treated like the total opposite. Instead of everyone looking down on her as if she were nothing, the balance of power had shifted to reveal her now as having power over them. She realized this, but her kind heart being so fair with mercy, she never thought once to send him after the ones who had mistreated her. Instead, she forgave them…she was above them now and above their evil. With all her years of travel, she had seen many evils. In fact, she knew how cruel the world could be above everything and everyone else, and yet she had also seen many heroes. She had heard of one heroine, Snow White, who had been running from the evil queen, just like her, for most of her life….and yet still forgave the black as night regal. Elizabeth wanted to be the same way with those who had shown her nothing but hatred. She was still afraid of people, but now forgave, in this moment, the human race as a whole for what they had done to her. She wanted to show most of all that she was no savage, and would show them the mercy that she was never shown before he had found her. She wanted everybody to have a second chance…for she believed it was a birthright of everyone to have a second chance. It was amazing to her how one moment could change your views, change your mind, and the rest of your life.

Eventually, the fireworks died down as the night grew in age. Eventually, it was near twilight, and the new little princess fell asleep after another feeding and change before she did. Rumple carefully carried her into the great room where his spinning wheel was set as usual, and he put her into the cradle like bed that he had conjured for her there. If there was one thing that he was grateful for now, he was grateful that he had the power to do that sort of thing. He soon started spinning, carefully rocking the cradle with his other hand as he spun with his right. He had done the two actions almost in rhythm with each other, and soon became lost in his own thoughts, looking over to the tiny girl's sweet face as she slept. And then he looked back to that shadow of the chipped cup. Not a day went by that he wasn't reminded of the first princess who had ever lived here. If he adopted her while Belle was still with him, she would have become her mother. She would have been a wonderful mother too, he thought, and yet if either one of them only knew the truth about who Elizabeth really was…but for now, he instantly thought of her as their daughter, for she even looked like a mix between the two. "I wish your mummie was here to see you….she would have loved you…" he whispered to her while she was still asleep. He couldn't brood on this now, he thought as he tried to ignore the tear that was threatening to spill over his cheek, he still had a lot to do for Elizabeth. She needed a nursery here, but the first thing that he would do was to show her to the world, and to bring her outside. However, he was afraid to bring this fragile existence outside for fear of something happening to her on the health spectrum. Therefore, he would soon call upon two old friends, the best doctor that all of the realms had ever seen, to take a look at her and the man who would take them to him. He soon poofed out a letter and began to write, walking over to the table to do so. "Dear Jefferson, old friend, I'm in need of your services…"


	10. Chapter IX

Chapter IX

_"He lays down there beside her, until her eyes are finally closed, and just watching her, it breaks his heart, because he already knows..."-Darius Rucker, "It Won't Be Like This For Long"_

It would be a few weeks until the hatter would be able to come to his old friend and business partner's aid, for the man had been employed by many, including the evil queen herself. But, truth be told, it was for the best. Elizabeth needed as much time as possible to adjust to this new world around her…a world in which love existed and hatred had no role…a new, wonderful world where of which she was queen, the dark castle's little mistress. The pain may have been excruciating, but that just made the bond between them even stronger, and the closeness between father and his new daughter grew minute by minute. At time he would stare at her in disbelief while she was sleeping…an activity that made the most of her days and nights. For years, the child had not slept, for who could sleep with predators milling around in the shadows, waiting for you to fall prey to the dangers of the wilderness? She could no longer run, could no longer ride, and could no longer control a bow and arrow….but those days were past and behind her, almost as if it had been one long, horrible dream that had occurred before she was born into this world of gold, status, and loving care and affection. Rumple had moved her into his room, in order to keep a close watch for her before the castle's nursery was built. So he had conjured up a basket in which to place the tiny, frail girl. And it had worked beautifully when he actually did want to lay down with her nearby, not having to worry about her rolling over or even him rolling over on her. Rumplestiltskin rarely slept, but now with a child in his care he suddenly found the need to sleep. He was already becoming quite protective of her, afraid to lose her as he had lost his first child. There was also something different about her now…her eyes were opening fully for the first time that he brought her here, vision returning to both of her eyes instead of just one. This led the young paralytic to become curious of everything around her. She seemed to have a very curious personality, and the dark castle had plenty of new and exciting things to explore, even if she could only do it from her basket or from his arms. She was always watching him, always curious of what he was doing. Her little amber eyes were always upon him, with a little weak tilt of her head. And her curiosity was bittersweet...seeing her watch every move he made and looking up to him made his chest swell with pride, but Belle had done that too, in a different way, but it was the same concept. When she saw the world, just like Belle had done during her stay here, she looked around in wonder and excitement, as if every little new experience was a start to a new adventure. One case of this bittersweet reminder happened at the spinning wheel. He had Elizabeth securely in one arm as he was spinning, rocking her back and forth along with the motion of the wheel aimlessly. His focus was on the constant flow of golden thread, snaking into basket for it beside it. She had seen him use magic a bit now that her vision was clear, but was wondering why he had to do it so much, what was it for, and why he did it. Clearly, she was fascinate by it…and was interested in everything magical. She herself had powers on the range that she didn't understand and couldn't even predict happening. She could remember jets of water suddenly spraying at anyone who came too close that meant harm. She seriously doubted that she had them now, due to the condition that she was in…but still it was even better that he was magical…she could understand him. Yet still, he was curious of why he spun constantly when this stuff he called gold didn't really go anywhere. Looking up at him with her little amber eyes, she tilted her head. "Papa?" she questioned, and he looked down at her in soft return, smiling softly "yes dearie?" "Why do you spin so much?" at her weak, soft question, he gulped and closed his eyes a bit at the cold, yet beautiful memories of his true love saying the exact same thing. He brought himself out of his reverie to focus on the child lying in the crook of his arm, practically wrapped in his leather clad sleeves. "Well…erm…it helps papa forget…" an idea came into his mind about how he could help her…at least until he could bring her to Victor. "watch the wheel sweetheart…maybe it'll help you forget the pain…" with that he kissed her head and began to spin again. And Elizabeth, with curious eyes would watch the wheel until she was ready to sleep…and loved it. It had become a habit of his too, and sort of an artform, to know what she needed just by looking at her or interpreting her whimpers, cries, and coos, since she couldn't speak all that much. There was a certain cry for hunger, a certain whimper for needing a change, a certain whine for wanting to be picked up and held or the need for affection or simply because she was in pain. He had even grown accustomed to taking naps to rest himself or eat or make a potion or a deal when she was sleeping. For when she was awake, putting her down was not an option. She was so afraid of going back to her old life and so afraid of losing him again that she would cry whenever he left the room. He had gotten so attached to her that he also never wanted to let her down himself, and would often hide her in his jacket when he had deals to attend to, just so she could still hold her close.

And it was a good thing that he did…the castle was often drafty and the winter only advanced during those first few weeks, and it made things even harder with heat escaping her body so easily. Alas, it was true: the poor little thing couldn't even keep up her own body temperature. At the present he would wrap her in an old wool blanket that he had always had for Baelfire…perhaps just soothing his memories by melding him with the child now before him. However, she would need her own blanket, for he obviously wanted to give her the life that he could not give his son. She accepted his magic, even admired it, however, he wanted to do one thing for her by hand. Having the little one sleep in his arm, he conjured up several balls of pink yarn and some knitting needles. It was no different than watching the wheel, in all actuality…focusing on the task ahead made the past fade like the sunset over the dark castle's mountain range. So with the occasional dealer, or of course the need to tend to little Elizabeth, he worked on into the night, finishing the entire blanket just in time for the dawn. She was still fast asleep, despite her usual muscular shaking and her ragged, noisy breathing that was ever present in her voice. He, ever so carefully without waking her….for he had known the hard way to never wake the sleeping baby…laid her down on the table in the great room, wrapping her up securely. He found himself giggling as he saw her snuggle down into it…oh would you look at that…he thought with a soft smile…the little darling was sucking her thumb. She was so innocent…and yet had been so hurt. He had sewn a name patch in it in blue letters to match her skin markings and of course he had used golden thread. To him, she was worth all of the gold in all of the worlds. He stroked the name on the blanket…Elizabeth…seeing a name made all of this ever the more reality.

The weeks went by and now these two were attached constantly, Rumplestiltskin having always been seen now with the bundle wrapped in the hand-knit pink blanket in his arms. Yet, he had not gone outside with her yet, fearing that infection would take hold of the already barely alive existence. No..he wanted Victor's opinion first. The night before, he stared at her almost in fear, feeling her usual trembling as she was tucked in his arms. What would Victor say about her…what would his prognosis be. And the nagging question still haunted him like the night creeping upon the castle: was she going to…live?


End file.
